Apparatus for leveling and closing the covers of cans, jars, &amp;c.



Patented Nov. I8, |902.

F. L. TAPSCOTT. APPARATUS FOR LEVE-LING AND CLOSING THE CUVERS 0F CANS,JARS, c.

` (Application led Feb. 3, 1900.) (No Modal.)

wiTNEssEs:

H l5 ATTORNEY vm: uonms PETERS cc. Pno'ram'ua. msnmmuu, u. c.

ll rrnn 'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK L. TAPSCOTT, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR LEVELING AND CLOSING THE COVERS 0F CANS, JARS, &c.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 713,925, dated November18, 1902.

Application led February 3, 1900. Serial No. 3,897. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK L. TAPsoorT, a citizen of the VUnited States,residing in the borough of Brooklyn, city and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Levelingand Closing the Oovers of Cans, Jars, dto, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to apparatus for leveling and closing the covers ofcans, jars, dto. I will describe such an apparatus'embodying myinvention and then point out the novel features thereof in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view, partly in verticalsection, of an apparatus for leveling and closing the covers of cans,jars, &G.,embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a top View of a part oftheapparatus. Fig.

3 is a detail sectional view. Fig. 4 is a detail` View of a portion of aiiexible blanket embodied in the apparatus.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of thefigures.

A represents a suitable retort, which is provided with an air-tightdoor, (not shown,) and B represents a pump connected by a pipe a withthe retort, by means of which air is exhausted from the retort and thecans, jars, or other receptacles contained within the retort.

C represents a support for cans, jars, dto., D. The support C may be ofany desired form and may be supported within the retort in any desiredmanner. As here shown, it is in the form of a tray with recesses forseparately holding the cans or jars. The support is also provided withan elastic or yielding covering c, on which the bottoms of the cans orjars rest. The main purpose of this covering c is to permit of the cansor jars being leveled and also to permit of the cans or jars yieldingwhen the covers of the cans or jars are to be seated.

Each can, jar, or other receptacle is provided with a cover d, which isloosely placed on its jar before the jar is placed in the retort. Thisis to enable the air within the jar being exhausted therefrom by thepump B. During the exhaustion of air from the retort and the cans orjars the covers are prevented from being displaced by a suitable blanketE, which rests on the covers. This blanket also serves in a measure tolevel the covers d should any of them be tilted, as indicated on the jard', Fig. 1. The blanket E may be of any material. It is preferablyeXible. In the drawings it is shown as being of rubber. It may also haveperforations or openings e. The openings are preferable in the blanket,as they permit the air to more easily escape from under it. The blanketbeing flexible or pliable permits of diderent portions being raisedwithout affecting any other portion of the blanket. This is advantageousin that it permits of a proper vacuum being obtained in each jar.

F represents a platform located Within the retort. It is adapted to bedropped from a position above the jars onto the jars and is for thepurpose of leveling the covers on the jars and forcing them to theirseats. This platform is preferably brought into use after the vacuum hasbeen formed and before air is admitted through the pipe a2 to hold thecovers on the jars. The platform F drops or falls onto the covers d bygravity. To insure its falling in a horizontal position, most of itsweight is distributed about the edge of the platform, as indicated byAthe elevated portions f. The platform may also be provided with anelastic cushion f on its under face, which is for the purpose ofbreaking the shock of the fall of the platform onto thejars.

The platform may be suspended within the retort above the cans or jarsby any desired means, and it may be caused to fall from its suspendedposition by any desired means. In the drawings I have shown the platformas being suspended by means of a number of Yelectromagnets G, thearmatures for which magnets consist of metallic plates g4, carried bythe platform. These magnets are carried by vertically-movable rodsg,which rods eX- tend through packed glands g', provided inr lars are forthe purpose of regulating the length of the rods within the casingaccording to the elevations desired for the platform. The differentelevations for the platform are necessary, owing to the differentheights of jars Which are placed in the retort. The magnets areconnected in series, and included in their circuit are a battery Z and aswitch S.

The operation of the apparatus Will be readily understood. The cans,jars, or other articles on which the covers are to be sealed are placedwithin the retort, the covers being loose thereon. The iiexible blanketis then placed on the covers and the platform raised and held in itselevated position by the electromagnets, the magnets being energized bythe current from the battery with the switch in its closed position. Theretort is then sealed and the pump operated to exhaust the air therefromand from the cans, jars, or other similar article. Aftera proper vacuumhas been obtained the magnets are denergized by opening the switch. Thispermits the platform to drop, and by its fall onto the covers it levelsthem and forces them to a perfect seat on the cans or jars. Air is thenadmitted, which securely holds the covers onto the cans or jars.

What I claim as my invention isl. In an apparatus for leveling andseating covers on cans, jars, and similar articles, the combination ofmeans for exhausting air from said cans or jars, a flexible blanketplaced on the covers to prevent them from being displaced While air isbeing exhausted from the cans or jars, and a gravity-operated platformfor leveling and forcing the covers to their seats on the cans or jars.

2. In an apparatus for leveling and seating covers on cans, jars, andsimilar articles, the combination of means for exhausting air from saidcans or jars, means placed on the covers to prevent them from beingdisplaced While airis being exhausted from the cans or jars, and agravity-operated adjustable platform for leveling and forcing the coversto their seats on the cans or jars.

3. In an apparatus for leveling and seating covers on cans, jars, andsimilar articles, the combination of means for exhausting airfrom them,means provided on the covers for preventing them from being displaced, agravityoperated platform for leveling and forcing the covers to theirseats after the air has been exhausted from the cans or jars, and meansfor suspending said platform above the covers and permitting it to fall.

4. In an apparatus for leveling and seating covers on cans, jars, andsimilar articles, means for exhausting air from them, means provided onthe covers for preventing them from being displaced, a gravity-operatedand adjustable platform for leveling and forcing the covers to theirseats after the air has been exhausted from the cans or jars, and meansfor suspending said platform above the covers and permitting it to fall.

5. In an apparatus for leveling and seating covers on cans, jars, andsimilar articles, means for exhausting air from them, means provided onthe covers for preventing them from being displaced, a gravity-operatedplatform for leveling and forcing the covers to their seats after theair has been exhausted from the cans or jars, and means for suspendingsaid platform above the covers and permitting it to fall, said meanscomprising electromagnets and plates carried by the platform which serveas armatures for said magnets.

6. In an apparatus for leveling and seating covers on cans, jars, andsimilar articles, means for exhausting air from them, means provided onthe covers for preventing them from being displaced, a gravity-operatedplatform for leveling and forcing the covers to their seats after theairhas been exhausted from the cans or jars, and means for suspending saidplatform above the covers and permitting it to fall, said meanscomprising vertically-adj ustable rods, electromagnets carried by saidrods, and plates carried by said platform Which serve as armatures forsaid electromagnets.

7. In an apparatus for leveling and seating covers on cans, jars, andsimilar articles, the combination of a support for the cans or jars,having an elastic covering on which the cans or jars rest, means forexhausting air from the cans or jars, and a device including ilexiblemeans for leveling and forcing the covers to their seats on the cans orjars after the air has been exhausted from the cans or jars.

S. In an apparatus for leveling and seating covers on cans, jars, andsimilar articles, the combination of a support for the cans or jars,having an elastic covering on which the cans or jars rest, means forexhausting air from the cans or jars, means for preventing the coversfrom being displaced While the air is being exhausted from the cans orjars, and a deviceincluding flexible means for leveling and forcing thecovers to their seats on the cans or jars after the air has beenexhausted from the cans or jars.

9. In an apparatus for treating food products, the combination of a tankWithin which the cans or jars are placed with their covers looselysupported, means for exhausting air from the said tank and cans or jars,a iiexible blanket located on the covers of said cans or jars to preventdisplacement thereof while air is being exhausted from the tank and cansor jars, and means for admitting air to the tank after a substantialvacuum has been obtained in the tank, whereby the covers will be forcedonto the heads of the cans or jars and be held thereon by air-pressure,substantially as described.

10. In an apparatus for treating food products, the combination of atank Within which the cans or jars are placed With their covers looselysupported, means for exhausting air from the said tanks and cans orjars,arubber blanket located on the covers of said cans or jars to preventdisplacement thereof While air is being exhausted from the tank and cansor IOO jars, and means for admitting air to the tank name to thisspecification in the presence of after a substantial vacuum has beenobtained two subscribing Witnesses. in the tank, whereby the covers willbe forced onto the heads of the cans or jars and be held FRANK L'TAPSCOTT' 5 thereon by air-pressure, substantially as de- Witnesses:

scribed. GEO. E. CRUSE,

In testimony whereof I have signed my DONALD CAMPBELL.

